


Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

by TheLoneStar



Series: Another Side, Another Story [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Friendship, Gen, Introspection, Multiple Crossovers, New fandoms added as the story progresses, Novelization, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-22 12:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30038952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneStar/pseuds/TheLoneStar
Summary: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua must unravel the mystery between a new force called the Unverse while traversing some most unusual worlds.
Series: Another Side, Another Story [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2209800
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

The sun was setting on Destiny Islands. The diminishing light cast an orange color on its sandy shores, especially on the calm, shimmering water. On the beach itself, the sand shone like billions of tiny diamonds, the occasional hermit crab scuttling along the warm jewels. On these glorious sands stood a young man with startling white hair and dark skin. With piercing golden eyes, he stared off into the distant waves, as if he were looking for something. “This world…is just too small.” He mused to himself, a disappointed edge in his voice. Whatever he may have been looking for…just wasn’t there.

Decades later, on a cloudy, but calm night, that same young man stood on that exact shore of Destiny Islands, golden eyes staring off into endless water. Except time had took its toll, and the young man had turned into an elderly, decrepit creature deformed by the darkness he had embraced. Donned in a cloak as black as the ocean’s void, he carried over his shoulder a young boy wrapped in a pure white blanket. The boy had spiky dirty blonde hair and pale skin; his brilliant blue eyes closed as if he was in a deep sleep. The old man, Xehanort, made his way to a miniature island just off the shore, connected by a bridge. There he placed the boy, Ventus, on one of the trees containing a Paopu Fruit. He looked up and saw one of the golden star-shaped fruit was just ripening. He couldn’t help but smile to himself, remembering the childhood legend that if two people shared such a fruit together, their fates would be intertwined forever.

He never believed in such nonsense.

Xehanort looked at the rest of the island, frowning as he noted its appearance. It hadn’t changed a bit since he left. Same sandy shores, same trees and lack of civilization. The people of Destiny Islands lived just a short boat trip away on a separate island. This island was for play, for children to go and explore. “There, you see? An empty world, like a prison. I imagine you'll be right at home.” He told Ventus, though he was sure his ex-apprentice couldn’t even hear him. Still, it was Xehanort’s fault that the young man was in such a state. Only twelve years old and his life was nearly at an end. An eternal coma awaited him. One that he could not hope to recover from. He owed Ventus a last few peaceful hours, at the very least…

But Ventus couldn’t see the same empty world Xehanort could. All the boy saw was darkness. A cold and empty void, not even the smallest glimmer of light anywhere. “ _Where am I…?_ ” He thought to himself, as he found he couldn’t speak or move, no matter how hard he tried. He felt like…he was falling? There was no wind, but he somehow felt it in his gut. There was an odd heavy feeling to his body, and a soreness he felt from his head down to his toes.

Suddenly, a bright, white light burst out in front of Ventus as he helplessly fell right towards it. He felt a sensation like landing into a pool of water but felt no wetness. He wished he could shield his eyes…it was just so bright. Yet try as he might, he wasn’t able to even move his arms! Whatever force was guiding him still didn’t allow him to move as he approached a blank white platform, with about a quarter of it missing. Ventus shifted until he was right-side-up and gently landed on his feet. Just where was he…? As if in response to his unasked question, a voice echoed in Ventus’ head. “ _I’m a brand-new Heart._ ” The voice sounded like a young boy, a child, but it was hard to tell for sure.

Now able to move, Ventus looked to find the source of the voice. He found no one, just the empty white platform in the middle of the endless void. Wait…he had been there before, during training with Master Xehanort. “But…” He muttered, having found his voice. “But this is…my heart…” Ventus wasn’t very old or very experienced, but he had already learned about diving into one’s own heart. “Why are you here?” He asked the voice, hoping it would answer again.

To Ventus’ relief, the voice hadn’t left him, and it piped up again. “ _The light brought me. I saw it shining in the distance…and followed it here._ ”

Ventus continued to look around as the voice spoke, but still saw no source of it. He placed a hand on his left breast. “Yeah…that was _my_ light.” He stared at the large chunk missing from the platform. “But my heart is fractured.” He noted, which explained why he felt so heavy and sore. “And now…the little I have left is slipping away.” It was a disgusting, horrid feeling, a deep pit in his chest that he had never felt before!

There was a pause, and for a moment, Ventus was afraid the voice had left him. Thankfully, it again came back to him. “ _Then you should join your heart with mine._ ” The voice said, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Did Ventus hear that right? Was such a thing even possible…? “What do you…” He trailed off as another light started to shine. This light came from the large chunk missing from the platform. The light intensified as the missing chunk started to get repaired. Before Ventus knew it, the platform was completely filled in like it should be. As soon as this happened, Ventus felt like a weight had been lifted from his body and the soreness simply vanished.

“ _Now our hearts have touched. Nothing else will slip away._ ” The voice said, sounding content with its actions. “ _And one day…you’ll be strong enough to win back the part that already did._ ”

Ventus smiled upward, not really sure where else to look for the voice’s source. “Right…Thank you.” He whispered, sure that the voice could still hear him.

“ _It’s time to wake up now._ _All we have to do is…_ ” The voice said before trailing off. 

“…Open the door.” Ventus finished. He wasn’t too sure what that even meant but…it just sounded _right_ to him. As he said this, the blank white platform started to form a picture. Soon, Ventus was standing on a stain-glass platform depicting him and his Keyblade, with star-shaped decorations and the background of a familiar looking landscape. A moment later, Ventus’ vision went black once more.

In the real world, Xehanort was staring off towards the sea. Despite abandoning this world of his so long ago, he still felt nostalgia for where he was born and grew up. The sound of the waves gently shifting, the smell of the salt air…it really brought him back. He was about to make his exit when he heard the shuffling of fabric behind him. It couldn’t be…could it? He turned to see Ventus’ arm sticking straight up in the air. “Ah!” He gasped out loud, and with a flash of light, Ventus’ Keyblade, what the boy had named Wayward Wind, appeared in his hand. “His Keyblade!” The old man looked on as a beam of light erupted from the blade, ending in a dazzling shower of sparkling light as it ascended. Xehanort smiled to himself. He could still make this work…

Four years later, Ventus awoke with a jolt. He sat up in bed, looking about his room. That dream he was having…All of it felt so familiar, but…trying to remember the details was like grabbing a handful of fog, and soon the entire dream faded from Ventus’ memory. That always happened when he dreamt, and it always annoyed him! He glanced out the window, out to the world he currently lived in, The Land of Departure. It had been his home ever since…ever since…Ventus rubbed his head. Since…something had happened to him. He had a hard time remembering anything before he arrived there four years ago. Still, he considered this place home. He looked past the chained mountains, up to the stars above.

Master Eraqus had told Ventus that each star was really another, unique world in the vast Universe. The apprentice had wanted to visit a new world ever since he had learned such facts, but Master Eraqus had yet to let him go. Ventus had been tempted to sneak away using his Keyblade Glider, but he was never able to pluck up the courage to go through with it. He was about to turn away from the window and go back to sleep when something caught his attention. A streak of light that went across the sky. A meteor. A few seconds later, there was another one. And another. And _another_. The streaks kept coming one after the other with no signs of stopping. A large grin spread across Ventus’ face and the dream was forgotten instantly. “A meteor shower!” He gasped to himself as he got his outdoor clothes on and ran outside of the castle.

Soon enough he was past the forecourt and in the mountains themselves. Ventus had always been pretty light on his feet. He may not have been the strongest like Terra, or the most versatile in magic like Aqua, but Ventus was the fastest person in the whole castle hands down. Soon, Ventus reached his planned destination, a bench by the cliffside that was the perfect spot to watch the meteors. He glanced up to make sure the shower was still going on, which it was. Before much longer, Ventus arrived at his destination and lied down on the grass, looking up at the sky. It was pretty rare for Ventus to actually see a meteor shower on such a clear night. This was probably only the third or fourth time he got the opportunity. As he gazed up at the streaking lights, he eventually got more and more tired as his body demanded rest. As the shower kept going, Ventus drifted off and was soon fast asleep…

Soon, Ventus opened his eyes back up. It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two because the sky was still filled with stars, though the shower had stopped, and the sun had yet to peek up from the horizon. He sat up and gazed over at the castle, and for a moment marveled at it. The unusual way it was structured, especially with the golden chains attached to rings on the nearby mountains. He had been so perplexed when he first arrived at this world, and all this time later it was still odd to him.

Ventus wanted to get up and go back to his bed…but he was just so darn tired that he laid back down to get some more sleep. As his head hit the soft grass, a familiar, female face blocked his vision. He lurched back up with a startled yell and whipped around to see a laughing Aqua standing there. Ventus felt his heart hammering against his ribcage, as it usually did around Aqua, though this time it was purely out of being startled. “Give me a break, Aqua!” He lightly scolded. He couldn’t get mad at her, not for real. Especially not over something so small. Aqua was a pretty young woman, eighteen years old, with brilliant blue hair and matching eyes. Despite their close age, and to his dismay, she was a bit taller than he was. Terra had told him guys were usually taller than girls, so what was the deal?! So unfair!

Despite the large castle present in The Land of Departure, only four people actually lived in it. Just Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra. As such, Aqua and Terra were the only friends Ventus had. This of course meant he got very close to the two of them in the four years he had been in the world. Terra was practically an older brother to Ventus, and Aqua acted like a sister. “Ventus, you’re completely hopeless!” Aqua teased. “You couldn’t have at least brought a blanket?”

Ventus looked back up at the stars. “I didn’t think I was gonna fall asleep! I just wanted to watch the shower is all.” He turned back to Aqua. “And why exactly are _you_ here?” He asked with faux accusation.

Aqua chuckled and ruffled Ventus’ mess of points he called his hair. She ignored his light blush and sat on the cliff’s edge. Aqua wasn’t stupid. She knew about Ventus’ crush on her, she at the very least knew he’s had it for about a year by that point. She didn’t have the heart to confront him about it. After all, it had yet to be a real problem, so she was hoping he’d get over it before it ever became one. Still, she loved Ventus like a little brother, and she couldn’t see that changing at any point. “Well, if you must know, I was watching the meteor shower from my room. As it was ending I realized a certain knucklehead probably came by here to watch it, so I came to check. Lo and behold, I found you taking a nap on a cliffside.”

Ventus let out a chuckle of his own and sat next to Aqua, his eyes fixated on the sky. “Well, I guess you made the right call then. You know me too well, huh?” The two then sat in silence for a bit, just staring up at the stars.

The quiet moment was broken when a voice came out from behind the two. “I thought I’d find you two here.” Ventus and Aqua turned to see Terra approaching them, a smile making its way across his face. At twenty years old, Terra was the tallest of the trio and built like an ox with a heavily muscular frame. When it came to pure physical strength he surpassed even Master Eraqus. He beamed at them with blue eyes that gazed out beneath his brown hair. “Let me guess, you two were watching the meteor shower too?” Terra asked as Ventus and Aqua stood up to join him. In a similar vein to Ventus, Terra viewed the younger boy like a brother, and had a deep respect for Aqua like she did him. He perhaps viewed her as a bit of a rival, a position she didn’t seem to share.

“Guess it’s pretty lucky that all of us managed to catch it, huh?” Ventus asked, beaming at his brother figure. “Aqua just came here a few minutes ago.”

“Right before our Mark of Mastery exam, Terra.” Aqua pointed out. “Maybe it’s a sign of luck.” She suddenly reached into her pockets. “Oh, that reminds me!” She pulled three stars made of stained glass with silver framing from her pockets. One blue, one green, and one orange. “I made us good luck charms! I even made one for you, Ven, just in case.” She tossed the orange one to Terra, and the green one to Ventus, keeping the blue one for herself. “They’re called Wayfinders.”

“Oh, wow!” Ventus gushed, looking over his Wayfinder. “Thank you, Aqua, it looks amazing!” Granted, he had no idea what a Wayfinder actually was, but it was clear that Aqua had worked hard on it, and that was really all that mattered to him.

Terra looked over his as well, flashing Aqua a toothy smile. “You’ve been getting a lot better at your crafting, Aqua!” He praised, appreciating the way the starlight made his own Wayfinder shine. “I really appreciate it!”

Aqua felt herself blushing slightly at the praise. “Thanks, you two. Glad you like them!” She looked up towards the stars. “Master Eraqus told me there’s a world out there with star-shaped fruit, which represent a connection that can never be broken. So as long as you have your Wayfinders, we’ll always be connected.”

Ventus and Terra looked at each other, with the latter breaking out into laughter. “Man, Aqua, you can be so cheesy sometimes!” He teased.

“Well, if that’s what you think, you can just give my charm back!” Aqua retaliated jokingly. “Wouldn’t want you to carry something so cheesy around!”

“Hey, I never said anything like that! No way am I giving this thing up!” Terra retaliated, trying not to break down laughing.

Ventus smiled to himself as he watched his two best friends play-fight with each other. After the two settled down, they made their way back to the castle to get some rest. As Ventus got back into bed, sighed and stared at the ceiling Tomorrow his only two friends would become Keyblade Masters…did that mean they’d be too busy to be with him anymore? Despite his worry, he was too tired to stay awake, and once more drifted off to sleep.

Elsewhere, in a far-off world, another Keyblade apprentice was undergoing his training. Mickey Mouse rode upon his makeshift raft, a large book in reality, against the violent waves. The water tossed the book he was riding upon every which way, only the ocean and stormy skies surrounding him.

Try as he might, he was quickly overpowered, and soon found himself in his Master’s room once more with a startled cry. The familiar dusty tomes and ancient desk where his Master resided was the sign of his failure. Rubbing his head where he fell, he sheepishly approached Master Yen Sid to await his scolding. To his surprise, the elderly man was looking out the window. “Mickey…” He said, his deep voice etched with worry. “I cannot shake the feeling that something terrible is about to transpire…” Mickey could only cock his head in puzzlement as Yen Sid gazed off at the distant stars. Three of them in particular; one orange, one green, and one blue.

The next morning, the three apprentices woke up bright and early to attend the Mark of Mastery exam. Even though he wasn’t ready to take the exam, Ventus had to show up to it. Even if he wasn’t required to go, Ventus would have done so anyway. What kind of friend would he be if he didn’t offer moral support? He felt a bit uneasy as he approached the throne room. Master Eraqus had told him, Terra, and Aqua, that Master Xehanort would also be overseeing the exam. Ventus didn’t remember his life before coming to The Land of Departure, but Master Eraqus had told him that Xehanort used to be the Keyblade Master he trained under. That being said, Ventus didn’t remember a thing about the elderly man, and he hadn’t seen him since he was dropped off at the castle four years ago. Aqua and Terra didn’t know much about Master Xehanort either, having only met him the day Ventus arrived. Master Eraqus was strangely avoidant in talking about his supposed old friend, and the apprentices learned quickly to stop asking...

Still, Ventus couldn’t let nervousness keep him away. Soon he was in the throne room, standing off to the side and waiting for the exams to start. The throne room was a large, empty area with a huge stain-glassed window letting the morning light in. At the end of the room sat three thrones, though Ventus never saw anyone sit in them before. Soon, Aqua and Terra entered the room, Ventus giving the two a little wave as they walked by and stood before the thrones. Not a minute later, Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort entered as well. Master Xehanort took a seat on the left-most throne and gave Ventus a look that the young boy couldn’t quite pinpoint, but it made him feel uneasy. Master Eraqus stood before Aqua and Terra, gazing at his two students as if sizing them up. Eraqus was a tall, well-built man with greying black hair with a mustache and goatee and a scar on his left cheek and over his right eye. Ventus tried asking him where the scar came from, but the withering glare he got in return assured that such a question would never be asked again.

After looking over his two students, Master Eraqus spoke up. “Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery. Before me stands not one, but two of the Keyblade’s chosen who have been deemed worthy to take this test.” He looked between the two students before him. “This is not a competition, and it is not a test of strength or magical expertise, but a test of the heart. Both of you may prevail, or neither.” He glanced over at his fellow Master. “That being said, I am sure that Master Xehanort did not come all this way to see such promising students miss their mark.” Eraqus then summoned his Keyblade, Master's Defender. “Now then, begin!”

Master Eraqus waved his Keyblade, and behind Terra and Aqua, a number of large orbs of light appeared. As Aqua and Terra summoned their Keyblades, Rainfell and Earthshaker respectively, Master Xehanort decided to spice things up a bit. While everyone had their eyes on the orbs of light, the elderly man imbued them with just a little bit of darkness. The energy swam in the orbs for a brief moment before vanishing, making sure they became a bit more dangerous…

Despite the initial shock to Aqua and Terra, the two Keyblade wielders charged at the orbs and started to fight them off. Terra used might swings to knock the orbs away, while Aqua was able to dodge the balls of light with ease, firing of fire spells to keep them at bay.

Things were going fine, despite Xehanort’s interference, until one of the orbs made their way towards Ventus. “Ven, watch out!” Aqua yelled as Ventus summoned his Keyblade and batted the orb away.

“Don’t worry about me, just focus on the exam!” Ventus urged. Terra and Aqua nodded in response and continued to fight, with Ventus joining in on the battle. Luckily, the orbs weren’t intelligent, and all they could do was float towards the trio of Keyblade users. Terra used his immense strength to dispatch a number of orbs as they appeared, using only a single blow. Aqua used her magic to attack from afar, not utilizing thunder spells to attack multiple orbs at once. Ventus moved so fast that the slow-moving orbs didn’t have a chance to even graze him as he sliced right through them. Master Eraqus watched on in worry, but let things unfold as he sat down in his seat, the throne to the far right. Master Xehanort watched intently, with a slight smile on his face. It wasn’t long before all the orbs were destroyed, and the three apprentices returned to their original positions, now slightly out of breath as they put their Keyblades away.

“That was…unexpected.” Master Eraqus said as he got up and stood in front of Aqua and Terra again. “Though the darkness was unforeseen…” He glanced over at Xehanort, whose expression was unreadable. “…I allowed things to unfold, and the two of you performed admirably. You did a fine job as well, Ventus.” The teacher said, nodding slightly to the youngest pupil, who beamed with pride. “Now for the second and final part of the exam. The two of you must face each other in combat.” The two Masters-in-training summoned their Keyblades and got into position to start their fight. “Remember, there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed. Now…begin!”

Aqua and Terra sprang into action instantly, Terra quickly forcing Aqua back with his strength, with the young woman quick to retaliate. The young woman chose not to use spells, wanting to rely on her skills with the Keyblade alone for this part of the test. It seemed Terra had a similar idea, the oldest apprentice able to use magic despite him leaning towards physical blows instead.

The fight went on for several minutes, and it at first seemed the two were evenly matched. Frustration grew within Terra as he couldn’t land a solid blow onto Aqua, not to seriously harm her of course, but to show Master Eraqus he had what it took to become a Master. The rage reached its peak when Aqua managed to get a light hit on Terra’s cheek, drawing blood. Terra felt a familiar, sinister energy bubble up from within as a miasma of darkness coated his arm. This hadn’t been the first time such feelings stirred within him, much to his shame. “No, not now…” He muttered as he willed the darkness to vanish. Only Master Eraqus and Xehanort noticed this development, with the former frowning in worry and the latter grinning in excitement.

“That is enough! The match is over!” Eraqus announced as he stood up. Immediately, Aqua and Terra put their Keyblades away and took their position in front of the throne. Wordlessly, Eraqus and Xehanort went off into the adjacent room to discuss their decision. While they were gone, the three apprentices didn’t dare to move or talk, with all three of them feeling a heavy tension in the room. At the very least, Aqua gave Terra an apologetic look, not having drawn blood on purpose. Terra, however, kept his eyes dead ahead.

Before too long, the two Masters returned and stood in front of Aqua and Terra. “Master Xehanort and I have reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, you both performed commendably. However, only Aqua has shown the Mark of Mastery.” All three apprentices gasped at this as Eraqus looked into Terra’s eyes. “Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you in check. That being said, you will always be allowed to try again in the future. That is all.”

There was a mix of emotions going through the three…no, two apprentices and the new Master. Ventus wanted to go over and try to cheer Terra up, but he knew Master Eraqus would get mad and scold him for doing so. He felt happy for Aqua, yes, but he still couldn’t help but worry for how Terra felt. Becoming a Master was a big deal to the oldest apprentice, something he had talked about ever since Ventus arrived at the castle.

Aqua’s heart skipped a beat when Master Eraqus dubbed her a new Master, and a rush of excitement went through her body. That being said, her mood was dampened when Terra’s failure was announced. She hadn’t even noticed him using darkness in the fight, but who was she to question those with much more experience than her? If only they had both passed…

Terra felt shame and rage boiling in his veins. How could he be so stupid? How could he let darkness surface, even for a moment? He of course felt happy for Aqua and her accomplishment, but he just wished he could be by her side as a true Keyblade Master, and all that stopped him was a single moment of weakness. It was clear to him that he had quite a bit of training to do.

The three apprentices were snapped out of their thoughts when Master Eraqus spoke up once more. “Now, Aqua, as our newest Keyblade Master, you are entitled to certain knowledge.” He did not react as Master Xehanort turned and made his way out of the room without a word or even a farewell gesture. “Please stay here for further instruction. Terra, Ventus, you are dismissed and must be out of this room by the time I return.” With that, Master Eraqus followed behind Xehanort.

As soon as Master Eraqus left, Ventus ran over to Terra, while Aqua turned to her older friend. “Terra, what happened? Are you alright?” Ventus asked, frowning lightly and just wanting to help.

Terra didn’t look at either of his friends, opting to look down at his feet as his hands clenched into fists with a frustrated sigh. “That darkness…where did it come from?” Neither Ventus nor Aqua had a response for that…

Master Xehanort, meanwhile, had said his quick goodbyes to Eraqus and was descending the steps towards the exit of the castle. Leaning on the wall at one of the landings was a young boy in a tinted helmet, with a bizarre, almost organic looking bodysuit. “So, what did you think of Ventus?” The old man asked as he approached his young companion.

The young boy shook his head and pushed off the wall. “He ain’t gonna cut it. Somebody has to break that loser in.” His voice was sinister and full of a bitter resentment. He couldn’t quite comprehend why, but whenever he looked at, or even _thought_ about that kid…he felt hatred boil in his gut.

The elderly man snarled at the masked boy. “Not here you won’t. I have to keep up appearances.” Xehanort couldn’t let his plans come undone because that little abomination was antsy.

“I know that.” The masked boy assured. Even he didn’t want to see the old man get angry. The elderly coot seemed almost harmless, yet he was anything but. “He just needs a little incentive to leave home…” Xehanort mutely nodded, and the two made their way down the rest of the stairs together.

Meanwhile, Terra started to make his way to the castle entrance. “Sorry,” he said to Aqua and Ventus as he left them behind, “but I need some time alone.” He didn’t even look back at them, feeling too ashamed of himself to do so.

Ventus was about to shout after his big brother figure, but Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. “Terra said he wants to be alone, and we have to respect that. You can talk to him later, alright?”

The younger boy let out a sigh and nodded. After all, he knew that she was right. Generally, she and Terra were with whatever they told Ventus. “Alright…you know best.” He gave her a small smile. “And…congratulations, _Master_ Aqua.” He lightly teased.

Aqua, caught off guard, let out a laugh. “Oh geez, don’t call me that, please. It makes me feel, I don’t know, old or something. But still, thank you.” She gave Ventus a hair rustling. “Now, you should go off somewhere else, Master Eraqus will be back soon.”

With a silent nod, Ventus left Aqua… _Master_ Aqua, alone and went back to his room. He really wanted to go out and find Terra, but Aqua was right; if Terra wanted to be alone, Ventus needed to respect that. Still, he just felt _useless_ doing nothing! With a heavy sigh, Ventus lied down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking to himself. Now that Aqua was a Master…what did that mean for their friendship? Would she go somewhere else to train Keyblade apprentices of her own? In a moment of self-loathing, Ventus decided that maybe it didn’t matter if she left or not. She didn’t feel the same way about him that he felt towards her, and she never would. Why would she? He was just a stupid, scrawny little loser who-

Ventus’ thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the castle bell. That signaled that everyone was to meet in the throne room. Just what was going on…? Didn’t Master Eraqus have to talk to Aqua alone? As Ventus was about to exit his room, a voice called out from the doorway. “Better hurry, or you’ll never see Terra again. And that Aqua girl will be out of your reach soon enough.”

Ventus jumped out of the bed, seeing a boy in a helmet standing there in his doorway, casually leaning against the frame. How did he even get in there? “What? Who are you?!” He demanded, summoning his Keyblade, which got no reaction from the mysterious youth. “And what are you babbling about?! I can see Terra and Aqua whenever I want!” Ventus didn’t know who this guy was, but he was honestly more unnerved by how the masked boy didn’t seem at all scared to see a Keyblade.

“Like right now? Terra’s leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up…he’ll be a different person.” The masked boy practically hissed, sounding quite confident in himself…

Terra, meanwhile, was sitting on the front steps of the castle, internally fuming at himself. How could he be so weak, to let darkness take a hold of him like that? What was he doing wrong? Master Eraqus had made it exceedingly clear over the years that using darkness would only lead to disaster. “No…” He muttered. “I _am_ strong, I know I am. I should be strong enough to hold the darkness back…!”

“Yes, you are indeed strong.” A voice called out to Terra from behind. Terra quickly turned to see Master Xehanort descending the steps.

“Master Xehanort…” The would-be Master greeted, standing and giving a slight bow. Terra had only met Master Xehanort once, and never got much information out of him from Master Eraqus. But…if he held the title of Master, he must be someone wise and strong of heart. “I apologize you came all this way to see an apprentice struggle with darkness like that.”

As Master Xehanort grew closer, he shook his head. “Nonsense, boy. Darkness is not something to be feared or repelled. It must be frustrating that Master Eraqus continuously refutes such power.” He gave the young man an almost pitying look. “Why, you could train forever, and Master Eraqus would never see you as a Master, as someone equal to Aqua.”

“But…I don’t understand!” Terra replied, his brow furrowing at the old man’s words. “What am I missing? What is it that I’ve failed to learn, Master Xehanort?” If anyone could steer Terra in the direction of becoming a Master, it was another Master; one that was unbiased to or against Terra.

As he reached Terra, Master Xehanort placed a hand on the apprentice’s shoulder, who shivered at the sudden chill that pricked at his skin. This didn’t seem to bother the man, however. “You’re fine as you are, Terra. You see, Master Eraqus seeks to destroy darkness, which is impossible! Darkness can only be channeled, and if you do so, you will reach new heights and become a Master.”

Without waiting for a response, Master Xehanort walked passed Terra, who bowed slightly at the retreating figure. “Thank you, Master.” Terra didn’t want to admit it but…something about Master Xehanort unnerved him. Could it be the darkness? Master Xehanort spoke of darkness as if he were very attuned to it, and if darkness were as evil as Master Eraqus had said, surely a Master would never be allowed to use it so much, right? Terra has had a lingering attribute of darkness in him since he was small, but as much as Master Eraqus tried to suppress it…the darkness had not once ever hurt Terra or made him hurt others. As Terra pondered this, the castle bell rang out. “What? Trouble?” Terra muttered as he quickly dashed back up the steps, missing Master Xehanort vanish in a portal of darkness.

Aqua, meanwhile, was with Master Eraqus, who was just telling her about her duties as Master. “…and insomuch as you are now Keyblade Master, you must always be conscious of-” Eraqus’ speech was cut off by the castle’s bell, which he knew meant either danger was approaching, or another Keyblade Master was trying to contact him. Eraqus turned around and saw the gem on the wall behind the three thrones was glowing. “Yen Sid…?” He muttered to himself as he went towards the gem, leaving a confused Aqua behind.

Just as Eraqus went to investigate the gem, Terra ran up beside Aqua. “What happened? Is there trouble?” Nothing seemed to be amiss that he could see, neither inside nor outside.

“I don’t know, Master Eraqus went to go see that gem on the wall, since it started to glow.” Aqua answered. She didn’t know what was going on with her Master, who seemed to be whispering to the gem. As far as she, Terra, and Ventus knew, that gem was for decoration.

Back in Ventus’ room, the youngest Keyblade apprentice was glaring daggers at the strange masked boy, who didn’t seem intimidated in the slightest. Ventus knew he had to get to the throne room as quickly as possible, but he couldn’t just leave this strange boy alone. He was some sort of intruder, and no way he wanted anything good! “Look, you don’t know the first thing about Terra or Aqua! The three of us will always be a team!” Ventus didn’t sound so sure, however. Now that Aqua was a Keyblade Master, would she stick around…or go somewhere else to each Keyblade users? “Are you just trying to pick a fight or something?!”

The masked boy let out an almost disgusted little scoff. “Oh, grow up.” The boy pushed away from the wall and slowly walked across the room. Ventus watched him closely, Keyblade at the ready. As the boy moved, Ventus felt…an odd energy. It was if some force were radiating from the masked boy, and the Keyblade apprentice could almost hear a humming noise in the air. It…unnerved him and made him feel an odd mixture of sad and angry. “What could you possibly know, cooped up here in this tiny world. You’ll know I’m telling the truth when you go out there and get some more experience.” With that, a mass of darkness erupted from the floor. A portal! Ventus felt the humming grow louder as the masked boy stepped into the portal, where he and the bubble of darkness vanished from The Land of Departure, instantly cutting off the odd presence in the air…

Back in the throne room, Aqua and Terra watched as Master Eraqus talked with the glowing gem on the wall. Despite straining their ears, they couldn’t hear much of what Master Eraqus was saying, and they heard no other voice in the room. “…Very well, I will send my pupils to investigate. Farewell.” The two heard their teacher say. As he came back, they went from peering around the thrones to snapping at attention. “That was my good friend Yen Sid, using that gem as a communication device.” Eraqus explained.

“Yen Sid? He used to be a Keyblade Master like you, right?” Aqua asked. She vaguely recalled Master Eraqus mentioning that name before…

Eraqus nodded. “That’s right. Though he has retired from that position, he keeps a close eye on the tides of light and darkness.” A look of worry was evident on Eraqus’ scarred face. “He is very knowledgeable and wise, and so his words and warnings carry a great deal of weight for me. Especially now, as he has told me the Princesses of Heart are in danger.”

“The Princesses of Heart?” Terra asked. “Who are they?” He glanced to Aqua to see if she had any idea, but she also seemed confused at the title.

“Ah yes, I suppose I haven’t had much reason to tell you about them.” Master Eraqus admitted. “The Princess of Heart are humans that possess hearts without the slightest hint of Darkness within them. There are always seven of them at any given time, with a new one being born when one…expires. If the forces of darkness got their hands on them, they would be able to do terrible things, understand?” Aqua and Terra nodded. “Good. Now, it is not just darkness that is after these pure hearts, but a new force that seems to feed on negative emotion. Yen Sid called these monsters ‘Unversed’ and has warned me about how dangerous they are.”

Aqua was surprised at this. A new type of being has suddenly cropped up? “Master Eraqus, just where did these creatures come from?” This was the first time she had heard about something like this happening. Given how generally Master Eraqus spoke of these Unversed, it seemed to her this was a problem in more than one world!

“That, Yen Sid did not have an answer for.” Master Eraqus explained. “He told me he tried to contact Master Xehanort whose…dabbling into the forces of darkness may have provided some answers. Alas, he could not be reached. That leaves you two. As Keyblade wielders, it is your duty to strike down any force that upsets the balance of light and darkness, and these Unversed are no exception. I need you to find the source of these creatures and put an end to it, and you must also find Master Xehanort. His sudden disappearance worries me…Of course, I will unlock The Lanes Between, as you will need to travel to nearby worlds to undergo investigation.” With that, Master Eraqus summoned his Master’s Defender, pointing it straight up into the air. The tip of the Keyblade glowed with a soft light for a few moments before stopping. Nothing around the three changed, but clearly Master Eraqus had done as he had said. “Do not forget, going into these passageways without your armor will end with you consumed by darkness.”

“Master, what about Ven?” Terra couldn’t help but ask. The oldest apprentice felt bad about leaving his best friend and behind like that. Ven had always wanted to see other worlds, ever since he arrived at The Land of Departure. It seemed the boy really had a desire to stretch his legs, which Terra understood. He himself had wanted to visit other worlds too and see what was out there.

“I’m afraid he will have to stay behind here.” Master Eraqus replied, shaking his head. “This is much too dangerous for him. That being said, I would normally only send Aqua, as she has reached the rank of Master. But I see the potential within you Terra, so I am letting you go as a chance to prove me wrong with my decision to keep you an apprentice.” Master Eraqus didn’t want to keep Terra an apprentice, seeing the young man like an adopted son. Still, he had to be fair, and Terra’s vulnerability to darkness could not be ignored.

Terra felt hope blooming within him, easily replacing the anger he had felt earlier. A second chance to prove his worth was just what Terra needed! “Thank you, Master.” The young man said, giving Master Eraqus a bow before heading to the forecourt. 

Aqua watched as Terra left, feeling happy for her friend that he would be getting another chance to prove himself. She too bowed to Master Eraqus. “I best be on my way as well.”

She was about to turn to leave when Master Eraqus spoke up. “Not quite yet, Aqua. There is one more thing I need to tell you before you go. A favor would be more accurate.” He seemed almost…nervous in continuing, but he kept going. “I told Terra this was a second chance, and that was no lie. But…I still worry for him. I need you to try and keep an eye on him. I fear his desire for strength may lead him down the road to darkness, and I’ll need you to intervene if that happens and bring him back here. Of course, this favor is to be kept between us.”

The blue-haired girl wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Master Eraqus was practically asking her to spy on one of her best friends. That being said…she too worried about the darkness within Terra, and what his desire for strength might do to him. She wanted to say for sure he would resist the dark urges, but…who could say for sure? “I…I understand, Master. If need be, I will bring Terra back, but I have confidence that it won’t come to that. He’s not as weak as you think.”

As Aqua and Eraqus were talking, Ventus ran through the throne room and towards the forecourt, going unnoticed by the two. He noted Aqua and Master Eraqus’ location…but where was Terra? He had to warn all of them about the masked boy, and he needed to start with Terra, in case he was about to leave! Luckily, as Ventus went through the front gates, he saw Terra walking through the forecourt. “Terra!” He called, nearly tripping his own two feet as he reached his friend. “Terra, we need to talk!”

“Hey, easy Ven! Where’s the fire?” The older boy asked in a bit of a joking tone. His smile vanished when he saw just how…disturbed Ven looked, like he had seen a ghost or something. “What’s wrong, Ven? Are you okay? You don’t look so good.” Terra’s tone became a lot more serious, his brow furrowing.

Ventus took a second to catch his breath, panting heavily and feeling like his lungs were on fire. “The masked boy! There was a weird masked boy in my room!”

“…What? What do you mean? There’s no one in this castle but Master Eraqus, Aqua, and the two of us.” Terra rustled Ven’s hair. “Were you having a dream or something?” This wouldn’t be the first time Ven overreacted to something, after all. Not once since Terra arrived at the castle was there any kind of intruder, after all!

“This is _serious_!” The younger boy yelled, roughly swatting Terra’s hand away. “There was a strange boy in my room, and his presence felt…wrong.” He couldn’t find another word to describe that feeling the unusual youth gave off. “He said you, Aqua, and me will be separated forever! He said you’ll change!”

Terra knelt down slightly, so he and Ventis were at equal eye-level. The younger apprentice seemed pretty serious and upset…so Terra decided to take the matter more seriously. “Look, I don’t know who that guy was, but he can’t be good news. You don’t have to worry about anything, though. Go back and tell Master Eraqus and Aqua what you told me, okay?”

“What? No! We’ll go tell them together!” Ventus argued. What was Terra talking about? Why did he seem so _calm_? At first, he brushed off the masked boy’s words, but…as they weighed on his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if the strange youth had some weird plan going on. After all, he boy had talked about Terra’s departure and what the future held with such a casual confidence…

“I have to go, Ven. Master Eraqus has trusted Aqua and I with a mission, but you’re going to have to stay here.” Terra explained, feeling guilty as Ven’s frantic expression turned into one of hurt.

“What…Do you mean? What mission, what’s going on?” Ventus asked. He knew he was late for the bell but…just what did he miss? The fact that the masked boy was right about Terra’s departure just got his emotions more riled up!

“There’s trouble out there in the other worlds. These things called Unversed are out there causing trouble. They’re these creatures that are made up of negative emotions.” Terra responded, standing up straight. “Aqua and I have to go stop them, but you’ll need to stay here and explain what happened to Master Eraqus, okay?” He noticed Aqua coming out of the castle gates as he spoke, and their gazes met for a brief moment. Without waiting for a response, Terra slammed his fist into his armor sleeve, activating his Keyblade Armor with a bright flash of light. Terra was now decked in a heavy, powerful suit of brown armor, complete with horns on the head and a cape billowing behind him. He summoned his Keyblade and threw it high in the air where it became his Keyblade Glider. Getting away from Ventus, for safety, he willed the Glider to fly towards him, where he jumped on and rocketed to the sky.

“Terra!” Ventus called, having been stunned by Terra’s answer, his bluntness, and the flash of light. “Terra, come back!” He begged, but Terra didn’t respond, if he could even hear the boy. A portal of light opened in the sky, with Terra flying right into it. “Terra…” Ventus muttered, feeling betrayal in his heart. Even after that warning, Terra just ignored him and left! How could he do that? Did he take anything Ventus had said seriously at all?!

“Ven…Are you okay?” Aqua asked, approaching the young boy and accidentally startling him as he turned around to see her there. “What were you two talking about?” She noted how upset Ventus looked and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder but, to her surprise, he jerked away from her.

“I’m not going to let Terra go! That masked boy was wrong! I’ll prove it!” The young boy yelled, hitting his own armor sleeve. With a bright light, Ventus was wrapped within his Keyblade Armor as well. He had never tried this before, so he looked over himself in amazement as he flexed his armored hands. Surprisingly, the armor didn’t feel heavy at all, as though it were normal clothing.

“Ventus, wait! Don’t go!” Aqua scolded, grabbing onto the boy’s armored arm. “You have to stay here with Master Eraqus!” She felt for Ven, she really did, but she knew Master Eraqus was right in choosing to have him stay behind. “It’s dangerous out there!”

“I don’t care!” Ventus retorted, getting out of Aqua’s grip. “I’m not weak! I’m not useless! I’ll prove it!” He was shaking slightly, emotion overflowing within him. No way was he going to let anything happen to their friendship! He’d prove that masked boy wrong!

Aqua paused, staring at the boy as his breathing got heavier and more anguished. “Ven…I don’t think you’re useless. None of us think that…” Had Ven really thought himself as weak and useless? And that everyone else thought so too?

Ventus was barely listening, summoning his Keyblade and backing away from Aqua. “I’ll prove I’m not a loser! I’ll grow stronger and I’ll…I’ll prove I’m good enough!” He blurted out. Without waiting for a reaction, Ventus mimicked Terra and summoned his Keyblade Glider. Before Aqua could stop him, he boarded it and followed Terra into the portal.

“Ventus, no!” Aqua heard from behind her. She turned to see Master Eraqus descending the steps towards the forecourt. “You have to go after him, Aqua! It’s too dangerous for him! Bring him back here!” He ordered, eyes wide and filled with a deep worry.

Aqua nodded, tapping her own armor sleeve and summoning her own armor. “I’ll make sure he’s back unharmed, Master!” She vowed, wasting no time as she summoned her Keyblade Glider as well. Not wanting Ven to get too far ahead, she instantly flew up and entered the portal as well.

With a weary sigh, Master Eraqus watched as Aqua went through the portal, which closed behind her. He was left alone in the castle for the first time in decades. Even though it had only been a few seconds, it felt like a great deal of life had been sucked from the world around him. “Be safe, my children…” He whispered, a nasty feeling in his gut that the missions he gave out would prove far more dangerous than he anticipated...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the summary says, this work will feature a lot less Disney characters and general media than in the main series. Classic characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Yen Sid will appear (among others) but all of the worlds will exclusively be non-Disney properties. Basically me wanting to take the crossover aspect of the series to a much higher level with different forms of media from entirely different companies and countries of origin.


	2. The Stone Mask

Terra burst out from the portal of light into The Lanes Between and immediately slowed to a stop. He had never ventured outside of The Land of Departure since he first arrived, so these lanes were completely new to him. He gazed around him at the vast Universe, seeing more stars than he ever could from simply looking up at the sky from his room. One of the countless worlds was where he came from; a dirty, poor world that he honestly never missed.

Everywhere Terra looked was an endless ocean of stars and mysterious, distant foggy lights. He wasn’t sure what those were, so he made a note to avoid them. The Keyblade wielder felt so small, so insignificant when out there in space. How many billions of worlds were there? What sort of people and creatures existed in far off places, ones that he couldn’t even imagine? While not as excitable as Ventus…Terra was actually looking forward to seeing a bit of what was out there.

But, of course, the mission came first.

It was at this point that Terra stopped to think; Master Eraqus never really gave him a good starting point on which world to go to first. The way he spoke, it seemed that the Unversed weren’t attacking any worlds in particular, but simply causing trouble wherever they went. With that in mind, Terra looked around for the nearest world and saw one that was actually relatively close by. He could even make out a town amidst huge swaths of greenery. Each world was, naturally, massive and it would take him too long to explore each one entirely. He’d just have to see how things went, letting his heart be his guiding key. That was an old saying that Master Eraqus had taught his students, and Terra was sure his heart would guide him to where he needed to go!

With no real other options, Terra made way to the nearby world, deciding to land just outside of the town he saw. Before too long, he found himself on a grassy, hilly field littered with trees and worn-out dirt paths. After shedding his armor, he looked over to the town, which seemed peaceful, with wooden and stone buildings lining cobblestone roads. The streets were bustling with people in outfits that seemed very odd to Terra, but he supposed it wasn’t fair to judge. Men and boys wore very stiff looking outfits with straps and buttons while women and girls tended to wear flowing dresses. He noted the only mode of transportation seemed to be carriages drawn by horses. Terra was standing far enough away that he couldn’t hear what the people were saying as they walked about, just the general buzz of conversation and movement.

While Terra had never seen any worlds aside from his homeworld and The Land of Departure, he had still learned some very important facts with two in particular standing out to the young man. One was that time ran differently on many worlds. Thankfully, the difference wasn’t usually too harsh; where if someone spent ten minutes on one world, then instantly transported back to their homeworld, they would find maybe eleven minutes had passed. That being said, there was always the chance that a few minutes in one world could be thousands of years in one’s homeworld. The second fact Terra kept in mind is that things like technology, cultures, and even the laws of physics varied from world to world. What was impossible in one world could be an everyday part of life in another; and something that is socially acceptable in one world could be downright illegal in another.

While Master Eraqus never let his students go out and simply explore, he taught the trio many other things. Terra knew of certain technologies that seemed to crop up in many worlds, along with certain plants or animals. For instance, Terra’s homeworld too had horses, just as they did where he found himself.

Still, Terra had to be careful when interacting with the natives of this world, doing his best not to stand out too much. His clothing would naturally stand out, but he could hardly do anything about that. He would have to ask around if he wanted to find Master Xehanort, who could easily be in this world…or one of the countless others nearby. As Terra pondered, he looked around and saw a large mansion not too far from the town. Should he go there, or into town? Going into town meant interacting with more people and standing out more, but chances are if Master Xehanort or any Unversed were around, he’d find answers faster with all the gossip of a crowded town.

Terra’s thoughts were interrupted when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Without a moment’s hesitation he summoned his Keyblade and looked around. The only people he could see were off in the town, so what was this feeling…? In an instant, four shapes erupted from the ground in front of the Keyblade wielder, startling him. They were small, purple creatures ending in sharp edges; with only pointed ends instead of feet or hands, complete with menacing red eyes. As soon as Terra laid eyes on them, he felt anger and a sense of envy starting to grow in the pit of his heart. Remembering what Master Eraqus had said about the Unversed, Terra deduced these creatures must be a part of them!

A second later, two of the Unversed, Floods, leapt at Terra, aiming for his chest with their sharp hands. With a mighty swing of his Keyblade, he struck the oncoming foes, destroying them instantly. Their bodies simply melted away in a black mist which evaporated almost instantly. Terra may not have been as fast as Ven, or even Aqua, but these Floods were still not fast enough to get him so easily! The two remaining Floods glared at Terra, who slammed the ground between them. They had no idea what his plan was, so they didn’t dodge, which would have allowed them to evade the sharp rocks that came out from beneath them, killing them instantly. A minor quake spell, one of Terra’s specialties!

Putting his Keyblade away, Terra glanced toward the town, the negative feelings the Unversed brought on melting away. The people near the outskirts didn’t seem to notice his short fight, save for two boys that were pointing at him and talking amongst themselves. Not knowing what to really do, Terra tried waving them away. One of the kids nudged the other and said something to him, and the two ran off. Knowing that chasing them down would just lead to more trouble, Terra started to think again. So, there were definitely Unversed in this world, but was the source of them actually nearby, or in another world entirely? A flash of purple whizzed by the corner of his eye, and when Terra turned to look, he saw two more Floods heading for the mansion nearby.

The Keyblade wielder chased the two monsters, catching up before too long. Before they were even aware of Terra’s presence, he took out his Keyblade once more and leapt at one of them, destroying it with a single strike. As the other Flood tried to leap away from him, Terra pointed his Keyblade right in its face. “Fire!” He bellowed, and a fireball shot out from his Keyblade and destroyed the remaining creature.

Now this was interesting to Terra. Those Unversed were heading straight for that mansion. It was also worth noting that the people in town seemed to be going about their day casually. This meant one of two things, these six Unversed were the first to ever appear in this area or, more likely, they were drawn to that mansion, leaving this town alone. Something, or maybe even someone was drawing these creatures to that building, and Terra had to find out what.

Without a moment to lose, Terra made his way to the mansion. It was a huge abode, several stories high with massive chimneys and even a tower in the middle rising up towards the sky. The fence and gate around the mansion could be a problem, but maybe Terra would be able to get someone’s attention and talk his way in? If he had to, the Keyblade could open any lock, but he’d rather not break and enter if he could avoid it. He peeked through the bars but saw no one at the front courtyard he could talk to. He didn’t want to cause trouble, but the building was suspicious, so if he had to break inside…

Terra’s thoughts were interrupted when a snide, cross voice rang out from behind him. “Hey! Just who do you think you are, loitering in front of our home?” Terra looked to see a boy standing there. He couldn’t have been more than thirteen or so but was already about a head taller than Ven and though he was wearing a formal suit and had a bag with a satchel around his shoulder, Terra could see he was bulkier than his young friend as well. Golden, piercing eyes glared at Terra under a wave of equally golden hair. Notably, he had three moles upon his left ear, a birthmark. There was some sort of…energy emanating from the boy. Not darkness, exactly, but what Terra could only describe as pure willpower. It was surreal, almost, given just how young the boy seemed! “I’m speaking to you, with the brown hair! Todd and Charles told me they saw some strange man with a metal weapon outside of town, so I had to see for myself.”

As unpleasant as the boy seemed, Terra still spoke evenly and with a polite tone. No need to cause further problems here! “I was hoping to speak to the owner of this building, but since you live here, have you seen any strange creatures. That, or an elderly man named Xehanort?”

The boy narrowed his eyes, intensifying his glare. “I have no idea what you’re going on about. What creatures? The only one I’ve seen was that damned dog but…he’s no longer around.” The boy smiled slightly at that, as if he were telling a joke. “As for a Xehanort, I’ve never heard the name. Now will you just-” As the boy was speaking, a green Unversed, a Scrapper, appeared between the two boys. It was bigger than a Flood, the size of a child, with claws, red eyes, and a symbol on its chest, signifying its position as an Unversed. Without hesitation, it lunged at the boy.

“Look out!” Terra yelled, but before he could do anything, the boy readied his leg. It seemed a fight or flight instinct flared up in the young man, and he chose to fight. With a mighty kick, the creature was on its back and stunned. Not wasting this opportunity, Terra summoned his Keyblade and stabbed the Scrapper through the chest, destroying it and reducing it to nothingness. “Are you okay?” He asked the boy as his Keyblade vanished once more.

“Just what in the hell was that thing!?” The young man demanded. “It just appeared from nowhere! Some sort of camouflage, but…” He trailed off, clearly confused at what just happened. Clearly, the Unversed weren’t exactly rampant in this part of the world.

“That was one of the creatures I was talking about.” Terra explained. “They’re called Unversed, and it seems they’ll attack anyone they get near.” If the boy lived in the mansion, it would explain why they were drawn to it, since they feed on negative emotions and this boy was certainly negative.

“Well, it was certainly no match for me, Dio Brando!” The boy declared, pointing at himself with his thumb. Terra had the feeling he liked saying his own name when he got the chance. “It’s pretty suspicious, I must say, that the same time an outsider comes sniffing around our home, some creature attacks me.” Dio accused. “What is your connection to these Unversed?”

Terra could understand the boy’s suspicion and light hostility, if he were in Dio’s shoes, he’d probably have similar thoughts. “If you’re trying to imply I’m working with these creatures, it’s the exact opposite. I’m trying to find the source of them and destroy it.” With that, Terra started to walk away. “If you’ll excuse me…” While they seemed drawn to the mansion, it didn’t seem to be the source, necessarily, if this was Dio’s first time seeing an Unversed. While Terra wanted to look around the building, still, he had a feeling that boy would never cooperate. Besides, Terra still needed to find Master Xehanort, and the town seemed to be the best place to look.

“Good! Don’t come back around here, is that clear? If you must bother someone from this place, bother that buffoon Jonathan Joestar!” Dio called after Terra, glaring daggers at the young man. Terra didn’t reply, simply making his way to town. As the stranger went out of sight, Dio smirked and thought to himself. How interesting…What that Xehanort man had said was spot on, that stranger even had a metal key-shaped weapon…

_Hours before Terra arrived, Dio had been training in a secluded area by the river. One didn’t become a boxing expert by simply lounging around, after all. That’s probably why that dolt Jonathan was so weak, he spent all day enjoying his wealth and relaxing. The boy froze when he felt a presence behind him, causing him to whip around. Walking towards Dio was a golden-eyed, elderly man with a hunched back. The man grinned as he approached and stopped at a reasonable distance. “Tell me boy, what’s your name?”_

_Dio immediately went on the defensive. “Why is it you want to know? I’ve never seen you around here before.” The boy had an excellent memory, and as someone as bizarre looking as this old man would definitely have stood out enough to be remembered. “Those are strange clothes you’re wearing. Are you some sort of oriental?”_

_The old man didn’t seem perturbed by the young man’s rudeness. The boy may have been brash, but he reminded Xehanort a lot of himself when he was younger; a heart overflowing with willpower, and even the same golden eyes. “Well, I suppose it is polite to give one’s name before asking for another’s. My name is Xehanort, and I have some information I’m sure you’ll find useful. Now…your name?”_

_Still suspicious, Dio kept his distance from this Xehanort fellow. “Okay…I’ll hear you out, I suppose. Just make it fast. And the name is Dio…Dio Brando.” After all, this was an old man before him. If he tried anything, Dio would be able to beat him down with little issue. And of course, there was always the chance he was actually able to give useful information._

_“Tell me, Dio, what do you know about hearts?” Xehanort asked. “And darkness, have you channeled what you hold in your heart?” The elderly man knew this boy would be a natural, the darkness within him had the potential to match Terra’s, maybe even exceed it!_

_Dio scoffed, no longer taking this man seriously. “Hearts? Darkness? What are you blathering about? Hearts are for pumping blood; and using darkness in one’s heart sounds like something from a bad fantasy novel.” The young blonde had to admit, however, there was something…strange about this old man. And not just how he looked. Despite being a pleasant Summer’s day, he felt the temperature drop after Xehanort arrived, like a chilly Fall evening._

_Xehanort shook his head. “Poor, feckless child.” He muttered. “You truly are ignorant to what lies within one’s heart, aren’t you? Perhaps a demonstration…” The old man raised a hand, pointing his palm towards a nearby tree. A ball of darkness erupted from his palm and blew the tree to smithereens, blasting splinters of it into the river._

_The young boy stared at what was left of the tree. How…How could that happen? There was no weapon in this world capable of such a thing! Could it be…this old man was really channeling some kind of energy? It certainly was no mere parlor trick! Fear slowly turned into intrigue. If this were just a small taste of what darkness could do…then if Dio mastered it, no one could stop him! “You’re saying if I channel this darkness I have in my heart, I could do things like that?”_

_“But of course, Dio. But what I just did was the tip of the iceberg.” A wide grin crept across the elderly man’s face. “And it is but the start of what I have to tell you. Would you perhaps believe me if I told you I’m from another world, and that the key to ruling all the other worlds is within this world right now?”_

_Dio wanted to be skeptical. Other worlds? That sounded completely ridiculous. And yet…he had just witnessed Xehanort blow up a tree with some kind of darkness magic. Being from another world would certainly explain this strange aura the old man gave off. “After that demonstration of yours, I’m willing to at least hear you out. Tell me more…”_

Dio continued to stare at Terra as he got near town. Xehanort had gone on to tell him the boy the Seven Princesses of Heart, and how he could use these hearts to gain access to a power beyond his wildest dreams. It was something the old man had called…Kingdom Hearts, yet he had declined to explain exactly what it was.

As it turned out, that idiot Jonathan’s girlfriend Erina Pendleton was one of these princesses. Up until this point, Dio just wanted to steal the Joestar fortune all for himself, but this was all so much more promising. “If I must reject my humanity to this darkness…” he whispered, gazing down at his hands. “…so be it.” And with that, he started to follow Terra, feeling he would eventually find Jonathan and Erina, and then her heart would be all his…

Terra, unaware he was being followed, started to wander about town. The residents gave him strange looks, undoubtingly due to his attire. Still, he couldn’t let that stop him. As he went about town, he asked those would stop and listen to him about Xehanort’s whereabouts.

An hour soon passed, and no one was familiar with Xehanort at all, so Terra decided to switch gears and find out about this Jonathan boy that Dio told him about. Terra could at least find out what attracted the Unversed to that mansion. “Oh, Jonathan?” A young boy asked when Terra pressed him about Jonathan Joestar. “He and that Pendleton girl are probably by the river.” He said, pointing outside of town.

“Thank you, you’ve been a big help.” Terra said as he dashed off in the direction the boy pointed towards, unaware that he was still being tailed by Dio. The river was no more than a ten-minute jog outside of down, and along the empty dirt path, two Scrappers appeared to try and impede Terra’s progress. Emphasis on tried. As Terra walked along the river, he soon saw two children up ahead. One was a black-haired boy in formal clothing. He seemed as old as Dio was and was about as big in both height and bulk. He had kind blue eyes that reminded Terra of Ven. There was a birthmark on him as well, a five-point star on his upper left shoulder. With him was a pretty young girl with blonde hair, cyan eyes, and an expensive looking white dress. The two of them were sitting by the river, holding a conversation.

As Terra drew close, the girl noticed him and spoke up, pointing at the Keyblade wielder. “Jonathan, do you know that man?” She seemed slightly nervous at Terra’s presence.

Jonathan stood up, looking at Terra with cautious, though not aggressive, eyes. “I’m sure it’s alright, Erina. He doesn’t seem like trouble.” Despite this, he stood between Erina and Terra. “Is there something I can help you with, my good sir?” He called out to Terra.

Noting their caution, Terra stopped at a reasonable distance. From there, Terra could read the hearts of the two before him. The boy had almost no darkness in his heart, but the girl’s own hear made Terra pause for a moment. He sensed…no darkness whatsoever from her…just pure light! “Are you Jonathan Joestar?” Terra called. “I need to ask you some questions.”

The young boy didn’t respond at first, he kept staring at Terra, as if trying to read him. It seemed that Jonathan liked what he saw, his stance becoming more relaxed. He smiled down at his companion. “It’s alright Erina, he’s not a bad person.” At the boy’s words, Erina visibly relaxed, though she remained seated.

Well, this was already going leagues better than the talk with that Dio boy. “I was hoping you and I could talk in private, Jonathan.” Terra said. If Jonathan were somehow tied with the Unversed, like if they were targeting him, he’d rather keep other bystanders like that girl out of it. Especially since she was clearly special…could she perhaps be a Princess of Heart…?

The young man didn’t seem to mind the sudden request. Once again, he spoke to Erina. “I’ll be back before long, Erina!” He promised.

Terra and Jonathan went off a ways, just out of earshot from Erina. “Before we start, I believe introductions are in order, my good sir. At least, you seem to know my name, but I know not yours.” Jonathan said.

“My name is Terra, and I’m from…far away.” The Keyblade wielder said. “I just needed to ask if you’ve noticed anything…off. Anything involving that mansion near the town. A boy named Dio Brando told me to come to you.”

Jonathan stiffened at the mention of Dio’s name. “Dio? What did he tell you? Why did he tell you to come to me?” He seemed skeptical, cautious almost as if he were expecting Terra to say something awful.

Well, that wasn’t a good sign. “He didn’t specify why, he just told me to go to you. How do you know Dio? A friend of yours?” Terra asked, though he’d be surprised. This Jonathan seemed far too nice to be friends with someone like Dio.

The younger boy let out a tired sigh. “I suppose Dio didn’t mention that we’re brothers, did he?” He asked. Noting Terra’s confused expression, he went on. “Adopted brothers. Not long ago, his father fell ill and passed, and with nowhere else to go, he moved in with my father and myself.” It seemed as if Jonathan had more, less-than-pleasant things to say, but chose to bite his tongue.

Terra would have eaten his shirt if Dio and Jonathan had actually been related by blood. They were almost complete opposites and didn’t even look very similar. “Well, that still raises the question. Have you noticed anything strange going on?”

The question seemed to make Jonathan uncomfortable. “Well…” He muttered, then paused, as if not sure that he should continue. “…What would you be willing to believe?” He asked, his tone deadly serious.

Could he possibly know of the Unversed? That’s the only reason Terra could think of that would make him respond like that. “Trust me, Jonathan, there’s not much you could tell me that I wouldn’t believe.”

Jonathan pondered for a moment, clearly trying to decide if he should reveal what he knows. After a few moments, it seemed he decided to trust Terra. “Well…A few weeks ago, Dio and I got into a rather violent fight. The…details aren’t all too important.” He seemed a bit embarrassed as he said that. “I noticed that my father’s prized mask was more than it seemed, and ever since then…I’ve seen creatures around our home.”

A mask? That couldn’t possibly be linked to the masked boy Ven had been talking about, right? “Jonathan…Do these creatures have purple skin and red eyes by any chance? Or at least, the smallest ones should.”

The boy’s eyes instantly lit up at that. “You mean you know about these creatures? My mind is still truly sound?”

Terra gave Jonathan an encouraging look and nodded. “You’re just fine, trust me. These creatures are called Unversed, and I’m here to put a stop to them. Now, tell me more about this mask, and what you’ve seen the Unversed doing.” Honestly, Terra was feeling worried. The Unversed have been in this world for weeks? Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid only just that day learned about them, and who knows what kind of chaos they’ve been up to in other places?

Jonathan, looking both relieved and anxious, glanced back at Erina, as if making sure she was okay. She was currently watching the river, letting the two men have their private talk. No one had noticed Dio watching everything from behind a nearby tree. “Well…As I told you, Dio and I had a fight a few weeks ago. There was bloodshed involved, and some got on this mask that my father has had since before I was born. We don’t really know too much about it, but when the blood hit the mask, strange spikes erupted from its back, but as far as I know only Dio and I know of this. Ever since that day, I’ve noticed these creatures near our mansion. They seem to mostly be watching our house or something similar. On one occasion I saw them attack a wild animal, but aside from that…nothing. I even went out and killed one to show people its corpse, but it disintegrated.” The boy let out a sigh. “You’re the first person I’ve told this to. I was afraid no one else would believe such a tale…”

Terra processed the information and thought it over. If the mask was that old, it probably has nothing to do with this Masked Boy that showed up recently, at least Terra was pretty sure of that. Still, could the mask in Jonathan’s mansion be linked to the Unversed in some way? Why were the Unversed staying out of the mansion itself? “Well, not to worry Jonathan. I believe every word you said. Still, I would like to see this mask myself if you don’t mind…”

“Do you think the mask has something to do with these Unversed creatures, then?” Jonathan asked, seeming a bit surprised.

“Well…To be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly an expert on the Unversed.” Terra admitted. “But if they only started showing up around here after an incident with that mask, it feels worth looking into in my opinion.”

Jonathan nodded at that. “Well, I don’t see what harm could come of it.” Once more, he glanced back at his lady friend. “Please, excuse me for a moment.” The boy went back to Erina, and the two of them spoke for a minute, with Erina seeming almost a bit upset. After a minute, Jonathan came back. “Well, Erina is a bit sore our day was cut short, but I’m ready to go.”

“Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to interrupt like this.” Terra said. He glanced back at Erina, who sighed lightly while looking on at the river. The Keyblade wielder couldn’t help but wonder if the two were more than just friends? Well, that was none of his business.

“Things will be alright, Erina understands the situation is important. I want her to stay away from my home though, just to be safe.” Jonathan said. “Come on, let’s get going!” And with that, Terra and Jonathan ran back towards the mansion.

After waiting for the two to be out of earshot, Dio stepped out from behind the tree. Finally, Erina was all alone and ripe for the picking. The young girl hadn’t noticed Dio’s presence as he crept closer. She was merely staring at the river, unaware that Dio stopped just a few feet behind her. The boy gathered dark energy in his hand, with Erina feeling the sudden drop in temperature, she turned just in time to be hit square in the chest with an orb of energy.

And yet…all that happened was that the young girl passed out, confusing Dio. “What?! What’s going on? Erina’s heart should be mine!” Dio approached Erina, making sure she wasn’t really dead, but he could feel a pulse. That being said, her skin had gone cold and clammy.

“You didn’t listen to me very carefully, did you?” A familiar voice croaked from behind Dio. He turned to see Xehanort there, shaking his head in disappointment. “I told you full well you were not going to be able to use darkness to capture a heart. It is simply impossible. He approached the two children, standing over the unconscious Erina.

“Don’t tell me the limits of my own abilities, you damned old man!” Dio shot back. “If I am to begin my rise to power, I must be able to do it on my own!”

Once more, Xehanort shook his head. “Impatient, stubborn youth…” He muttered to himself. “Just this one time, I will assist you.” He extended his hand and summoned his Keyblade, No Name.

Dio stared at the weapon in Xehanort’s hands. While the elderly man told Dio of the Keyblades, he had never actually shown off his own to the boy. There was something about they eye on the hilt, Dio felt as though it were staring directly at him…and was aware of what it saw. The sight made his skin break out into goosebumps and he suppressed a shudder. “How long until I can get hearts of my own?”

“It is like I said, it is impossible.” Xehanort replied. “Hearts are far more complex than you can imagine, and one must use a Keyblade to extract one. In the future, you must kidnap the Princesses of Heart themselves, or find someone with a Keyblade to assist you. As it stands, I am far too busy with my own endeavors to babysit you.” The aged man said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. “Now, be silent and let me work.”

The tip of No Name started to billow with what seemed to be dark clouds. These clouds descended onto Erina and her chest started to glow with a brilliant light. After a few moments, what seemed to be some kind of orb, shining with a brilliant and pure light, left Erina and floated into Dio’s now outstretched hands. Xehanort then put his Keyblade away as the darkness and lights faded. “Is this truly her heart?” Dio asked, gazing at the object in his hands. He gazed down at the girl and found, oddly, she was still breathing. “How is she still alive, then?”

“I had told you hearts are terribly complex. Erina here lives on and will do so as long as her heart is intact. Her heart will even live on if her body is destroyed, in fact. Her heart can be returned any time should you want to for any reason, and you don’t need a Keyblade for that.” The old man turned and began walking away. “Now, as I said, this will be the one time I aid you. The rest is up to you, boy.”

Dio stood and watched as a portal of darkness spawned out of the ground and Xehanort stepped through, with both the man and the portal vanishing into nothingness. He then gazed down at the heart in his hand, still glowing so elegantly. He knew of these Princesses of Heart for less than a day and he already had one in his grasp! This would be easy! Storing the shining light in his bag, Dio made way to the Joestar Manor to find a place to hide his prize…

Far ahead of Dio, Terra and Jonathan arrived back at the mansion. The young Joestar unlocked the gate and allowed the two of them to enter. As they approached the front door of the large home, Jonathan spoke up. “The mask is right in the front foyer. Do you really believe these monsters are after it?”

“As I said before, I’m not exactly an expert on the Unversed.” Terra reminded the boy, feeling almost foolish in his lack of knowledge. “But if something happening to the mask caused these things to appear, it’s worth looking into.”

With that, Jonathan opened the door and the two entered the mansion proper. The inside looked just as elegant as the outside, the foyer massive in size. “My father is out of town at the moment, so no one will get in the way.” The young man said. They made their way across the foyer, and there on the wall hung a peculiar stone mask.

Terra stared at the ancient-looking object as he neared it, feeling an indescribable, menacing aura coming from it. That was the problem, however. It wasn’t darkness that Terra sensed, but there was certainly something _off_ about the mask. It was a simple, stone object with eyeholes, a nose, and a frowning mouth with sharp teeth poking out. “This is the mask? You said spikes come out of its back, right?”

“That’s right.” Jonathan confirmed as the two stopped in front of the object. “But it has only happened once, when blood was spilled upon it.” He cautiously took the mask from its place on the wall and held it in his hands. “They eventually retracted back in and haven’t come back out since.”

Terra looked down at the mask, unable to shake the feeling there was something very wrong with it…yet darkness didn’t seem to be a factor. “Very strange…How could this be tied with the Unversed?” He wondered aloud. “It doesn’t seem to actually be doing anything, but it does feel a bit unusual. Perhaps its activation and the appearance of the Unversed aren’t even connected?”

“I would wonder what caused these creatures to appear, then.” Jonathan argued lightly, staring at the odd object. “If not this mask, then what?”

“Well…the Unversed are tied with negative emotions.” Terra explained. “In fact, they feed off of it. That could be why they decided to hang near this mansion.” Perhaps it was the fight itself that attracted them, and the mask producing spikes was simply a coincidental part of the whole thing?

Jonathan put the mask back up on the wall. “…Perhaps. I just don’t know why they haven’t entered the mansions itself yet. They’ve never even entered the gates. Yet it seems they can pop from the ground wherever they please!”

As the two theorized, Dio had arrived back at the mansion. Instead of going inside the building proper, he snuck towards one of the windows and peered in. There he saw that blithering idiot Jonathan and that Keyblade wielding man from before. He couldn’t enter with the two of them there, he had to at least avoid that Keyblade user. Annoyance grew into a tense rage as Dio glared into the mansion. The malicious young boy watched as Terra and Jonathan made their way back to the front door, still conversing.

As the two were about to exit the manor, Terra and Jonathan felt the temperature drop, frustration started to well up within them. “What is that? What’s going on?!” Terra exclaimed as he summoned his Keyblade. That’s when the two heard it, a growling noise coming from behind.

The two turned and saw, in the center of the foyer, a large creature looming over them. It was an Unversed, a dog the size of a full-grown elephant with purple, short fur. The oddest thing about it was it had two heads, both with piercing red eyes. One was furious while the other seemed completely miserable. On both foreheads was the symbol on the Unversed, confirming its identity.

“What…Is that another one of those Unversed creatures?!” Jonathan gasped out, taking a slow step away from the beast.

“It must be, that symbol on their foreheads…I’ve seen it on smaller Unversed!” Terra pointed out. Before anything else could be said, the dog creature charged at the boys, who decided to retreat outside, with the Unversed chasing after them, squeezing through the door in a feat on unimaginable flexibility. Its body contorted and shrunk down in an almost liquid-like manner as it did this..

Terra and Jonathan failed to notice Dio, who took advantage of the chaos and slipped into the mansion. The blonde boy had no idea what was going on and wasn’t even aware he summoned the monster, but he wasn’t about to stand around and help fight it off!

The dog sprinted at its two would-be-meals, moving surprisingly fast and snapping at its opponents, who barely managed to roll out of the way in time. They rounded back behind the monster, standing between it and the front doors of the mansion. Again, the monster lunged at the two. The sad head going for Jonathan, and the angry one to Terra. The Keyblade wielder jumped back as the creature reached down and snapped at him once more, only for Terra to dodge and slam his Keyblade into the creature’s snout, eliciting a loud yelp. The sad head reacted to the pain, flinching before it could bite at Jonathan, who took the opportunity to slam his fist into the beast’s eye, getting another pained cry from the monster.

Pain soon turned to rage as the monster let out a demonic, double howl and lashed out at the boys. It swiped Jonathan away with one of its massive paws, knocking the boy to the ground and leaving deep gashes in his torso and shredding his shirt. Terra retaliated by leaping at the beast and casting a fire spell, aiming right into the sad head’s open mouth, which went right down the throat. Both heads let out roars of agony and thrashed about, forcing Terra to leap off.

The Keyblade wielder was surprised that Jonathan stayed to fight like that, even if this Unversed was out of his league. Terra moved so he was standing between the dual-headed beast and the boy, not wanting him to get targeted.

The Unversed recovered from the attack, the angry head rearing its head back. Black and purple flames started to crackle in its mouth before it lunged its face towards Terra and shot out a ball of dark fire. Terra blocked with Earthshaker, the attack trying to push through. But he used his strength to swing his Keyblade forward, dispelling the attack.

Going on the attack himself, Terra charged forward and readies his own spell. “Thundara!” He shouted out, raising his Keyblade into the air. From right above the Unversed, several strings of lightning appeared and struck down on the beast. The electrical attack surged through its entire body, causing it to once more howl in pain.

Terra believed this would stun the beast, but he had underestimated it. The two-headed dog lunged at him and swatted with a massive paw. The Keyblade wielder only had time to raise Earthshaker to block the attack, but it still caused him to get sent flying several feet and land on his back.

With Terra out of the way, the Unversed zeroed in on the still injured Jonathan, who was slowly getting to his feet. The young boy utilized a surprising tactic and charged the beast when it leaned down to try and bite at him. Using some incredibly strength, the Joestar wrapped his legs and an arm around the saddened half’s neck. Raising his fists, he punched at its eye multiple times, grunting out in effort as he did so.

The angry dog head snarled, barring its teeth and lunging at Jonathan. But the boy had anticipated this! He pushed himself off of the saddened half of the Unversed, causing the angry half to bit its neighboring neck! This once more caused the beast to howl out in pain as Jonathan fell to the ground.

Terra took this opportunity to leap at the beast, swinging his Keyblade in a wide arc and cutting both the heads off into a mighty blow. As the two heads hit they ground they, along with the main body, disintegrated, leaving no trace of the Unversed behind.

Panting, Terra stood where the beast once was and looked over at Jonathan, who was getting up once more, hand on his wounds. “Jonathan are you alright?” The young man asked, going over to the boy’s side.

“I’m not sure…that creature cut me rather deep.” Jonathan replied, wincing through the pain. “I think that last maneuver of mine made them even worse, I’m afraid…”

Thankfully, this wasn’t an issue for Terra. After all, Master Eraqus had taught him many spells, and not just for fighting others. “Here, let me help you.” The Keyblade wielder said as he cast a Cure spell on Jonathan, and in mere moments, the boy’s wounds were completely healed.

Surprised, Jonathan looked down to see a completely woundless torso and all the pain had gone away. “You truly are full of surprises, aren’t you?” He asked, looking back up to Terra, eyes widened.

“I guess you could say that.” Terra replied, surprised at how casually Jonathan was taking his powers. Granted, after what had just happened, it really wasn’t too much of a shock. “I’m just glad you’re alright, Jonathan.”

“Thank you, my good sir, but please call me JoJo.” The young man said, extending a hand. “All my friends do, after all.”

Terra couldn’t help but crack a smile at that. “Alright, JoJo it is.” He said, taking Jonathan’s hand in a brief, firm handshake. Truly the boy was special, able to fight through the pain and fight such a beast despite his age.

“So, what is it you plan to do now, Terra?” Jonathan asked, seeming to not want to acknowledge nearly being killed by a massive dog beast. He could hardly be blamed. “Did seeing the mask help you out at all? Do you think it somehow caused that creature to appear?”

“I don’t really know if seeing it helped me to be honest.” Terra admitted. “An Unversed attacked us when we picked it up, sure, but I sensed no darkness from the object, and how could a mask be tied to them anyway? I think I jumped the gun…” Terra sighed, feeling foolish for wasting his time. It had all seemed to click together at the time! Maybe it really was Dio who was causing Unversed to appear, not even on purpose. The beings were tied to negative emotion, and it wasn’t as though Terra could stop someone from feeling things! “But I suppose I should be going elsewhere. There’s someone I’m looking for, and no one here seems to have seen him.” With the Unversed activity here, Terra would be surprised if Master Xehanort were anywhere else in the world. Surely such a powerful use of the Keyblade would feel the issues going on around here! “Unless you have. He goes by Xehanort, he’s a bald elderly man with a hunched back.”

Jonathan thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Sorry to say, but that doesn’t sound familiar at all, Terra. I believe I would recall such a man if I had seen him before. Who is he, exactly?”

“It’s fine, he just must be elsewhere. He’s a friend of my own Master, it’s sort of a lot to explain.” Terra said with a sigh. “But I don’t have time, sorry. I really have to leave right now; I can’t afford to wait!” Sadly, the source of the Unversed didn’t seem to be around. He couldn’t stay on one world and protect a small sliver of it. It’d be far more effective to find the source of the strange beings and get rid of it.

“Oh…I see.” Jonathan said, frowning slightly. Seemed he was quite curious as to what exactly was going on. “Still, it was good to meet you, Terra. Perhaps we can meet again one day? You’re always welcome here, after all.”

That was most likely never going to happen. Terra didn’t see himself being allowed to go off to other worlds once the whole ordeal was done. Still, he didn’t want to actually say that. “Sure thing, JoJo. I don’t know when, but I’m sure we’ll meet again one day. Keep an eye out on things and protect Erina. With those things crawling about, you can’t be too careful.”

Jonathan gave a confident grin and agreed as he and Terra exchanged farewells.

With that, Terra made his way off of the Joestar property, Jonathan waving goodbye behind him before going into the mansion. Silently, Terra cursed himself. He had wasted too much time and had accomplished nothing. He had to find Master Xehanort himself and make Master Eraqus see that he could be trusted; that he was ready to be a Keyblade Master too!

All Terra could do was keep going forward. He would tell Master Eraqus that apparently a Princess of Heart was here in this world, but he had to complete his mission first. He also worried about that Dio character, and if things would be okay with him skulking about, probably making more Unversed crop up. But, again, Terra couldn’t stick around a single world forever, he had to move on!

Once he got a secluded area in the woods, Terra activated his armor, summoned his glider, and left the world behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to get another out quickly. I'm not going to upload this weekly or anything, but I had some of this story pre-written from a while back and wanted to kind of get to the crossover aspect of it, so I made a quicker update than usual. I won't be spending too much time in each world, considering every single one gets three visits, I don't want to make each one a huge ordeal. And things are only starting, of course. I'll probably put less focus on the "boss fights" featuring custom Unversed enemies over actual characters to be fought that will be appear later on.
> 
> If you have any thoughts or critiques, please leave a comment.


End file.
